News

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development hosted a panel discussion on the opportunities offered by EU cohesion policy in tackling RDI challenges and needs. This was the third event of this kind; the previous two put spotlight on opportunities for young and old people.

State Secretary Dr Blaž Germšek has attended the informal meeting of agriculture ministers in Genk. The discussion focused on how to increase the EU's self-sufficiency in protein crops, while considering all three aspects of sustainability.

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the 34th plenary session of the National Children's Parliament, which once again focused on the mental health of children and young people.

Today marks a special day: World Health Day. So let's take this opportunity to reflect upon one of our most important values – health.

The 55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously adopted two resolutions on the extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and on the rights of minorities, which Slovenia had proposed/filed jointly with two groups of countries.

State Secretary Marko Štucin hosted the Deputy Minister for European Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Marilena Raouna, for consultations. They reviewed bilateral relations and talked about Slovenia's experience in preparing for the EU Council Presidency in 2021, as well as topical European issues such as EU enlargement, the Western Balkans, EU institutional reforms and EU-Türkiye relations, including the Cyprus issue and migration.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today met with the leading representatives of the Slovenian justice system. The meeting was also attended by Andreja Katič, the Minister of Justice, and representatives of the Ministry of Public Administration.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Marko Štucin received Gabriel Hribar, President of the Unity List, the umbrella party of the Slovenian national minority in Austria, and Rudi Vouk, President of the Association of Slovenian Lawyers in Carinthia. They discussed the situation of the Slovenian minority in Austria and the petition on the inadequate implementation of minority rights.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon took part in a two-day meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Brussels, which focused on NATO’s 75th anniversary, preparations for the Washington Summit in July, support for Ukraine and strengthening cooperation with partners in the Indo-Pacific region. She underlined the importance of unity among allies on key strategic issues.

At today's session, the Government adopted a proposal for a new Lipica Stud Farm Act, setting the conditions for the Stud Farm's development and more efficient management, as well as the preservation of cultural heritage and its economic development. The Government also issued several Decrees concerning agriculture, which grant some of the requests from the recent protests. The Government decided to extend the mediation with the Fides trade union for one week.

On April 3 and 4, 2024, the 95th meeting of the Bureau of the Barcelona Convention was held in Ljubljana, which Slovenia hosted as the presiding country.

As part of the presentation of economic diplomacy, State Secretary Marko Štucin and representatives of the Directorate for Economic and Public Diplomacy visited the Savinja region to present to local companies how economic diplomacy can help Slovenian companies to internationalise their business.

Today, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Robert Golob, attended the GREMO Innovation Conference, where participants discussed the development of the Slovenian automotive and mobility industry in the light of the green and digital transformation.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met today with the Mayor of the Municipality of Maribor, Saša Arsenovič.

On Friday, 29 March 2024, the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development published the first amendment of the invitation to prepare agreements for the development of regions. The agreements will serve as the basis for co-financing projects under European Cohesion Policy objectives in 12 development regions. “The agreements for the development of regions are an important form of allocating EU funding in accordance with the bottom-up principle,” said Minister Dr Aleksander Jevšek.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Raising the level of bilingual education of the Hungarian national community in Slovenia and the Slovenian national community in Hungary.

Slovenia is concluding its third month in the Security Council. During the presidency of Japan, the month was marked by the adoption of a resolution on Gaza, showcasing the leading role of the 10 elected members in peace efforts. Japan organized open debates on the working methods of the UN Security Council and the role of women in conflict prevention.

Dear Citizens, dear Slovenians at home and abroad, I sincerely wish you happy Easter holidays.

Today, Prime Minister Robert Golob visited the Department of Haematology at the University Medical Centre Ljubljana, where the most complex and immunocompromised patients receive treatment. The Department of Haematology is the only tertiary institution for haematology patients in Slovenia.

Ambassador Iztok Mirošič participated in the inaugural Western Balkan Salon Roundtable, a collaborative event series hosted by the Atlantic Council and the embassies of the Western Balkan nations in Washington on March 28, 2024.

On 29 March 2004, the Republic of Slovenia became a full member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) after successfully depositing its Instrument of Accession in Washington. By joining this important political-military alliance, Slovenia achieved one of the main foreign policy and defence-military objectives it set itself at the time of its independence in 1991. This historic milestone was celebrated yesterday with a high-level meeting, panel discussions and a national ceremony at the Brdo Congress Centre.

As the 20th anniversary of Slovenia's accession to the EU approaches, in a new episode of the podcast, we hosted agricultural economist Dr Emil Erjavec. During the negotiations for EU accession, he was a member of the core negotiating team for agriculture and fisheries, the "expert engine" of the negotiations for agriculture. He is a highly popular professor at the Biotechnical Faculty and above all, a great expert in agricultural policy.

The international exercise INEX-6, prepared by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD NEA), was completed at the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA).

Wishing to resume social dialogue, Prime Minister Robert Golob invited the union representatives sitting on the Economic and Social Council to attend a working meeting.

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Nato and the 20th anniversary of Slovenia's accession to the military organisation, an exhibition and a roundtable discussion on the importance and future of Nato were opened at the Military History Park in Pivka on 27 March. The panellists agreed that the Alliance has played an important role in maintaining peace in Europe and will continue to do so in the future.

At today's session, the Government approved proposals for new amendments to the Compulsory Motor Third-Party Liability Insurance Act and to the Market in Financial Instruments Act. It also adopted the Immigration Strategy, a draft Resolution on the long-term peaceful use of nuclear energy in Slovenia, and the Decree on detailed spatial planning rules for siting photovoltaic installations and solar collectors.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has issued two grant decisions for boosting employment, namely for the project Boosting employment – Zaposli.me+ and for the Call for proposals to co-finance social activation+ projects.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Robert Golob, today welcomed the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Christopher Cavoli.

Slovenia will appear as Guest of Honour at the prestigious Bologna International Book Fair next month, cementing its place on the world stage as a nation rich in imaginative children's and youth literature and with an exceptional illustration heritage.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tirana will be closed on Monday 1 April (Easter Monday).

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon received an official visit from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, Filip Ivanović. They confirmed their mutual interest in further strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, particularly in the economy. They focused on Montenegro's progress towards EU accession and the current situation in the Western Balkans.

Minister Mateja Čalušić has attended the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, where ministers continued the discussion on the necessary measures to tackle the crisis in agriculture. The European Commission presented a new package of measures to enhance farmers' position in the agri-food chain. The ministers discussed the market situation following the invasion of Ukraine. In early afternoon, Minister Čalušić met with Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Robert Golob, today hosted the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz, on a working visit. The meeting was aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries and exchanging views on current European and foreign policy issues.

The Government has adopted a decision on increasing the earmarked assets and capital of the Slovenian Regional Development Fund for soft lending to small and medium-sized enterprises, adopted an opinion on a draft amendment to the Pension and Disability Insurance Act, included two new projects in the current Development Programme Plan 2024–2027, and adopted several decisions on the reallocation of state budget funds.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon hosted a meeting of the foreign ministers of the informal Central 5 group, with the participation of Alexander Schallenberg, Minister of European and International Affairs of Austria, Jan Lipavský, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Péter Szijjárto, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, and Juraj Blanár Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Robert Golob, met today with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsolo. They addressed topical issues ranging from the upcoming European elections to the situation in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis, as well as European agricultural policy and migration.

Prime Minister's statement: "Finally some good news from New York. The UN Security Council has agreed on a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Slovenia, together with the non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, played a key role in proposing the resolution.

During her working visit to Sarajevo, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon expressed contentment with the European Council's decision to initiate accession negotiations between Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the EU. She reaffirmed Slovenia's steadfast support for BiH's reform efforts.

State Secretary Eva Knez has attended the informal meeting of EU ministers responsible for fisheries. The main topic of the informal meeting was the "Future of the EU fisheries and aquaculture". The discussion focused on the impact of external factors such as climate change, energy and input prices, and geopolitical situation. Examples of good practice in fisheries were presented.

The Slovenian Regional Development Fund has published the call for proposals BIZI Liquidity Energy. The call for proposals, published on the Fund’s website, aims to ensure business entities' liquidity in light of the energy crisis and improve their competitiveness, productivity, and technological equipment by implementing measures to control energy consumption and energy loss.

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended a regular two-day European Council meeting in Brussels. The leaders discussed further support for Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression, security and defence, the situation in the Middle East, EU enlargement, migration and current challenges in agriculture.

The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, co-chaired the 5th session of the Slovenia-Friuli Venezia Giulia Joint Committee in Trieste, together with the President of the Region, Massimiliano Fedriga. Minister Fajon underlined that this type of cooperation contributes to the improvement and diversification of bilateral relations between Slovenia and Italy and is also of great importance for the two minorities.

An event marking the official opening of the revamped nursing home, the largest of its kind in the Pomurje region, was held in Rakičan. The renovation of the nursing home’s central unit was co-funded by the European Union. In his welcoming remarks, Minister of Cohesion and Regional Development dr. Aleksander Jevšek underscored that the renovated and modernised nursing home makes an important contribution to improving the quality of life of seniors and of the elderly care in the region.

The 5th session of the Slovenia-Friuli Venezia Giulia Joint Committee that was co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister Tanja Fajon and the President of the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia Massimiliano Fedriga was held in Trieste. The State Secretary at the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development also participated in the meeting.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar has hosted a conference of the Brdo Process. The conference was attended by the Ministers of the Interior and ministerial delegations from the Western Balkan partners, Austria, Italy and Hungary, the representatives of EU institutions, international and regional organisations and other partners involved.

On February 28, 2024, the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Athens, together with the Honorary Consulate General and the Municipal University Library in Limassol, organized the opening of the exhibition of the private art collection of the Honorary Consul General of the Republic of the Slovenia in Limassol, dr. Evros Alexandrou with the title "The touch of a Slovenian painter."

At a trilateral meeting in Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia, the Ministers of the Interior of Slovenia, Croatia and Italy, Boštjan Poklukar, Dr Davor Božinović and Matteo Piantedosi, committed to strengthening police cooperation between their countries.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today attended the first Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels. In his address, Mr Golob presented Slovenia’s positive experience with nuclear energy and highlighted the necessary elements for further development.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today met with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels.

At the invitation of Landry Riba Mandicó, Secretary of State for European Affairs of the Principality of Andorra, State Secretary Marko Štucin held the first political consultations in the history of the two countries in Andorra la Vella. The discussions focused on bilateral relations and current European and foreign policy issues.